Saint Menas of Egypt

Menas was an Egyptian serving in the Roman army in Phrygia, in Asia Minor. When the persecution under Diocletian began, he left the army, lived for a time in the desert, and then openly declared himself a Christian at a public festival; he was beheaded around 300. According to tradition, the camels carrying his body back to Egypt stopped and refused to go further, and there, near Alexandria, he was buried.

A great shrine city, Abu Mena, grew up at his tomb, and pilgrims carried home small clay flasks of holy water or oil stamped with his image between two camels; these have been found all over the Mediterranean. He is especially loved by Coptic Christians.